The present invention relates to a vent assembly having an air flow regulator slidable relative to a vent cover to control the flow of air through the vent cover. The invention also relates to methods relating to such a vent assembly.
Vent assemblies with a cover and a sliding air flow regulator or grill of various constructions are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,472,380 to Sarazen, Jr. et al. is understood to illustrate a construction in which a register or vent cover slidably receives a slide grill. The register defines a groove between the underside of vanes of the register and the upper surface of ridges formed in opposed sidewalls of the register. A handle, or tab, which can be integrally formed as part of the slide grill, extends upwardly in the space between two vanes of the cover so that it can be used to slide the grill.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,930,309 to Prager is understood to disclose an adjustable ventilator which has a vaned louver plate on one surface of a wall. A slidable plate assembly is located at the opposite side of the wall. The slidable plate assembly includes a cover having a plurality of openings which overlies a slide plate. Handles extend through slots in the cover and are used to slide the slide plate to selectively block or open the openings through the cover.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,509,812 to James is understood to illustrate a construction of a ventilator having an apertured back member fixed to a supporting surface and a front apertured member which is slidably mounted to the back member.
Although constructions of this type are known, a need exists for an improved vent assembly and method.
The present invention is directed toward new and unobvious aspects of a vent assembly and method alone and in various combinations and subcombinations with one another. The invention is not limited to a vent assembly or method which includes all of the various components described below in connection with the illustrated embodiments.
In accordance with a first embodiment, a vent assembly is described for controlling the flow of air through an opening. The assembly comprises a vent cover with a plurality of air flow openings. An air flow regulator is slidable relative to the vent cover from a first closed position in which the air flow regulator substantially blocks the flow of air through the air flow openings to second open positions in which air flow paths are provided through the air flow regulator and air flow openings. By substantially blocking the flow of air, it is meant that air flow is severely restricted as some air flow leakage or minimal air flow may still take place even though the air flow regulator is in the closed position. One or more open positions may be provided with air flow being less restricted by the air flow regulator as the air flow regulator is moved toward its most open position. In this embodiment, plural couplers may be used to slidably couple the air flow regulator to the vent cover. These couplers may each comprise at least one first coupler portion coupled to the air flow regulator and at least one second coupler portion frictionally coupled to the vent cover. The at least one second coupler portion may be inserted into a coupler receiving opening in the vent cover, such as into an air flow slot between vanes of the vent cover. The second coupler portion may frictionally engage the boundaries defining the receiving opening, such as the vanes, to retain the air flow regulator in a coupled relationship to the vent cover.
As another aspect of an embodiment, the air flow regulator may comprise plural guide openings through which the plural couplers respectively extend with the first coupler portion and at least one second coupler portion being on opposite sides of the air flow regulator from one another. The guide openings may engage the plural couplers to guide the sliding motion of the air flow regulator. In desirable forms, the air flow guide openings may comprise elongated slots oriented in a direction parallel to the direction in which the air flow regulator slides.
Couplers which engage the air flow regulator may have a portion which is compressed when inserted into a respective coupler receiver opening. The compressible member engages the vent cover within the coupler receiving opening to couple the air flow regulator to the vent cover. The compressible member may comprise a spring wire. In addition, the compressible member may be designed for compression in at least two directions when inserted into a coupler receiving opening.
In one embodiment, the vent assembly may comprise a vent cover comprising opposed outer and inner major surfaces with air flow openings extending between the outer and inner major surfaces. An air flow regulator may comprise first and second major opposed air flow regulator surfaces. When assembled, the first air flow regulator surface in this embodiment may be positioned adjacent to the inner major surface of the vent cover. A plurality of couplers each comprising a spring clip may be used to slidably couple the air flow regulator to the vent cover. The respective spring clips may each comprise at least two second coupler portions which are spaced apart from one another and a first coupler portion which interconnects the at least two of the second coupler portions. The first coupler portion may comprise an air flow regulator support portion which is coupled to the second air flow regulator surface to support the air flow regulator. The air flow regulator support portion may be positioned parallel to the second air flow regulator surface. The first coupler portion may lack any portion which projects away from the second air flow regulator surface. In an alternative form, the first coupler portion may comprise a duct retaining portion which projects away from the second air flow regulator surface.
As a further aspect of the last described embodiment, the vent cover may comprise first and second vent cover side portions and a plurality of spaced apart vanes extending between the first and second vent cover side portions. The air flow openings may comprise elongated air flow slots having sides bounded by respective vanes and ends bounded by respective portions of the first and second vent cover side portions. The second coupler portions may have a first dimension in a first direction which is greater than the spacing between the first and second of said vanes. The second coupler portions may also be oriented relative to the vent cover such that the second coupler portions are compressed in the first direction by the first and second vanes upon insertion of the second coupler portions into an air flow slot between the first and second vanes to thereby couple the air flow regulator to the vent cover. As another aspect of an alternative embodiment, the second coupler portions of each coupler may be spaced apart a distance which is greater than the distance between the ends of the air flow slot. In this case, the second coupler portion may be configured so as to be compressed in a second direction toward one another by the respective portions of the first and second vent cover side portions which define the air flow slot when the second coupler portions are inserted into the air flow slot.
The second coupler portions may be configured so as to be compressed in only the first direction to couple the air flow regulator to the vent cover; to be compressed in only the second direction (although this is less desirable) to couple the air flow regulator to the vent cover; or be compressed in both the first and second directions to accomplish the desired coupling. The second coupler portions in this embodiment may otherwise be compressible to accomplish this coupling.
As another aspect of an embodiment, the vanes may define slots oriented at a first angle relative to the inner major surface of the vent cover. In addition, the second coupler portions and air flow regulator support portions of the couplers may be at a second angle from one another with the second angle being less than the first angle.
The second coupler portion may comprise at least a portion of a loop of spring wire having a first dimension in the first direction.
In accordance with one specific embodiment, only two of said couplers are provided with one being positioned adjacent a first end portion of the vent cover and another being positioned adjacent a second end portion of the vent cover. Each of the couplers may include only two of said second coupler portions. In addition, the air flow regulator may comprise a respective guide slot or opening adjacent to each of the second coupler portions for guiding the motion of the air flow regulator relative to the vent cover.
It should be noted that in accordance with alternative embodiments, other forms of couplers may be utilized for slidably interconnecting the air flow regulator to the vent cover. Although less desirable, for example, fasteners extending through guide slots in the air flow regulator may engage the undersurface of the vent cover to slidably suspend the air flow regulator from the vent cover. Thus, although less desirable, friction or compressible couplers are not required to be used in the various embodiments.
As yet another aspect of an embodiment, at least one actuator coupled to the air flow regulator may be used to slide the air flow regulator relative to the vent cover from the closed to the open positions and back. Desirably, the air flow regulator extends into at least one of the air flow openings of the vent cover. The actuator may be movable within the air flow opening, which may comprise an air flow slot, and relative to the vent cover between respective first and second positions. As the actuator moves, the air flow regulator, which may comprise a slide member, slides from a first closed position in which the air flow regulator impedes the flow of air through the air flow slots to at least one second open position in which the slide member is positioned to open the air flow slots for the flow of air therethrough.
In accordance with an embodiment of a vent assembly, the air flow openings through the vent cover may comprise an elongated first air flow slot extending in a first direction. The air flow regulator may be slidable in either direction along a path of travel which is skewed relative to the first direction. More typically, the path of travel of the air flow regulator is perpendicular to the first direction. A movable actuator may be slidable in either direction along the first air flow slot. In addition, the air flow regulator may comprise an actuator cam which may comprise a guide slot extending in a second direction which is skewed relative to the first direction and skewed relative to the path of travel. The actuator may also comprise a cam follower which engages the cam such as a portion of the actuator positioned in the actuator guide slot. In this construction, movement of the actuator in one direction along the first air flow slot slides the air flow regulator toward the closed position and movement of the actuator in another direction opposite to the one direction along the first air flow slot slides the air flow regulator toward the open positions. In a desirable form of this embodiment, the vent cover has a longitudinal axis with the first direction being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vent cover. In addition, the path of travel of the air flow regulator may be parallel to the longitudinal axis. In addition, the actuator guide slot may extend in a second direction which is at an acute angle relative to the first direction. Although variable, the acute angle, in one specific example may be 35 degrees.
As yet another embodiment, the acutator may comprise a lever having a first portion coupled to the air flow regulator, a pivot portion positioned at least partially within at least a first of the air flow openings, and a grasping portion projecting from the pivot portion and generally away from the air flow regulator. In this construction, pivoting of the lever in a first direction slides the air flow regulator toward the closed position and pivoting the lever in the opposite direction slides the air flow regulator toward the open positions. In a specific embodiment, the lever may be configured such that the pivot portion moves in a first direction toward the outer surface of the vent cover as the lever is pivoted from a closed position toward the open positions. In a more specific design, the pivot portion of the lever may be enlarged with curved outer surfaces. The curved outer surfaces may be positioned to engage and pivot against portions of the vent cover defining the first of the air flow openings in which the pivot portion is disposed. The air flow regulator may comprise a lever engaging portion coupled to the first lever portion. For example, the lever engaging portion may have a lever receiving slot. The first lever portion of the lever may have a distal end portion spaced from the pivot portion and comprising a tab with a shoulder sized such that the tab is insertable into the lever receiving slot with the shoulder engaging the slot. In addition, the first lever portion may be bent at a location between the shoulder and pivot portion. In a specific form, the first lever portion is not straight.
In one embodiment, the vent assembly supports the vent cover at an acute angle relative to horizontal when the vent assembly is installed, forty-five degrees is one specific example of the acute angle, although this is variable. The vent assembly may comprise vent cover supports having a first edge which support the vent cover at the acute angle. A building may comprise a plurality of vent assemblies of the various embodiments heretofore described.
In addition, vent assembly methods are also disclosed.